<b>Chapter </b><b>157 </b>
‘Ashton is definitely doing this on purpose!‘ Briar thought in a panic as she tried her best not to sneak nces at Ashton. However<b>, </b>her face turned increasingly warmer as the blush crept down her neck. ‘This guy is as sly as a fox. It’s the middle of the night, so why isn’t he sleeping? Who’s he trying to seduce at this hour?‘
Afraid she might do something she would regret with such a handsome man right in front of her, Briar quietly pulled out her phone, put on her headphones, and set a meditation track to y on repeat.
Even though Ashton was lying down, he caught every little move Briar made just now.
‘She’s only eighteen, after all. It’s only natural her heart’s a little unsteady at that age,‘ he thought.
Twenty minutester, Briar took off her headphones. With the meditation track working its magic, her mind was calm, and her will felt unbreakable. She was sure that there was no way she’d fall for anyone’s looks now. “Briar?” Ashton called out.
“Shut up, Ashton! Cover yourself up!” Briar exploded, yelling at him.
The irond resolve she’d just managed to build up shattered the instant Ashton spoke. She caught sight of his bare chest on full disy once more, and could only fume helplessly, not daring to sneak another nce.
Ashton cleared his throat and asked, “Briar, what’s wrong? Why are you so mad? Did I do something to annoy you<b>? </b>I’ve just been lying here, and I haven’t done a thing…”
After witnessing that overwhelming fake sweetness and innocence from Ashton, Briar felt she ought to record it and send it to Beatrice, the sugar–coated little hypocrite, so she could finally learn what real top–tier maniptive charm looked like.
With a deadpan face, Briar looked at Ashton, who was practically reeking of fake innocence, and asked helplessly, “Mr. Wade, it’ste. What exactly are you trying to do?”
Ashton sat up with a straight face, his bathrobe sliding off one shoulder as he moved. His alluring corbone was silently tempting Briar to misbehave. He responded, “I’m not trying to do anything, I’m just a little thirsty, and I thought I’d get a ss of water.”
Briar clicked her tongue and turned away. “Fine, then go already.”
Ashton shot Briar a knowing look, then looked away and gave a nonchnt “mm” in reply. He got out of bed, slipped on his shoes, straightened his rumpled bathrobe, and finally opened the door to leave.
But as Ashton opened the door, a faint breeze drifted in. The silky, lightweight fabric of his bathrobe fluttered softly, lifting the hem just enough to show off his long, shapely legs as he walked. The view was impossible to ignore, and it was so eye–catching it almost hurt Briar’s eyes.
Briar rubbed her slightly itchy nose, and only after the door closed did she finally slump into the armchair. She cleared her throat, pretending nothing had happened, and tried to appear calm.
Not long after, Ashton returned, carrying two cups. One with water, and the other with milk. He handed the milk to Briar and said in <b>an </b><b>extra </b>gentle voice, “I specially warmed up some milk for you. It’ll help you sleep.”
Briar stared at him in silence and could not help but wonder, ‘What?
‘You’re the one who can’t sleep, so why am I the one drinking the milk?‘
However, she took the cup from Ashton. She shot him a wary look, half–expecting him to pull some new trick before murmuring, “<b>Thanks</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>
“No problem,” Ashton replied. He didn’t pull <i>any </i>tricks this time. Walking back to the bed, he stood by the nightstand and took a <b>couple </b><b>of </b><b>sips</b>.
At first, Briar didn’t think much of it. But in no time, that blush she’d just managed to get rid of came rushing back, hitting her <b>senses </b>like <b>a </b><b>tidal </b>wave<b>. </b>Ashton happened to be standing right under the wallmp. The soft light was washing over his tall, toned body, <b>making </b><b>him </b><b>look </b><b>as </b>if he <b>were </b><b>glowing </b>
Even something as ordinary as drinking water suddenly looked ridiculously attractive on him.
As he was turned sideways to Briar, her eyes couldn’t help but be glued to his perfect proportions, and she found herselfpletely fixated on the way his Adam’s apple moved up and down as he swallowed.
It was the kind of scene that was effortlessly sexy.
It was so natural, and yet it felt out of reach, and that very distance just made Briar even more unable to look away. She waspletely transfixed<b>, </b><b>her </b>eyes glued to Ashton’s Adam’s apple, even as he finished his water and bent down to set the cup on the nightstand. She didn’t snap out of it until <b>the </b>veryst second.
“Briar? Why aren’t you drinking? You don’t like the milk?” Ashton asked with concern. He must have felt her burning stare, because he turned to look <b>at </b>her and noticed her sitting there holding the cup as she zoned out.
That finally brought Briar back to her senses. Ashton had already finished his water, and she hadn’t even touched her milk. She hurriedly responded, “Huh? Oh! I’ll drink it right now…”
Embarrassed, she quickly looked away, her expression cooling down as she lowered her gaze and finished the milk in one go.
Ashtony back down on the bed and uttered, “Goodnight, Briar.”
“Goodnight,” Briar responded. However, she didn’t let her eyes stray toward the bed at all, not even once, until Ashton was fully settled under the covers.
It wasn’t that she was scared to look; it was that she simply couldn’t bring herself to.
She was afraid she’d end up falling for his charms all over again.
Ashton’s lips stayed curled into a faint smile even as he drifted off to sleep. When Briar quietly came over to check on himter, she found herself gritting her teeth in exasperation all over again.
‘How shameless!‘ she fumed inwardly.
Early the next morning, Briar got a call from Edgar, asking her toe home for dinner that evening.
“I’ve been cleaning out your mom’s old room <i>these </i>past few days, and I found some photos of you and her when you were little. I thought it’d be better for you to keep them as they’re a nice reminder,” Edgar said, his reason sounding perfectly reasonable and leaving Briar with no good excuse to say no,
After a moment’s thought, Briar finally agreed, “Alright, I’lle home tonight.”
“Good, very good,” Edgar replied in a noticeably lighter voice. “Briar, I know you still resent the Jennings family, but at the end of the day, we’re still father and daughter. No matter what kind of father I’ve been, I’m still your dad, aren’t I?”
Briar just hung up on him without a word, her face icy and unmoved.
Since she was going back to the Jennings family for dinner that night, Briar let Ashton know about it ahead of time. She didn’t even know <b>why </b><b>she </b>felt the need to check in with him about her dinner ns, but when Ashton asked, she just blurted it out without thinking.
Perhaps it was because Ashton made her feel so many things she’d never felt before, but Briar realized her guard around him was weaker.
Б g weaker and
“The Jennings ce is pretty far from Moonspring Estate. Do you want me to give you a ride?” Ashton asked, a hint of worry in his voice when he <b>heard </b>Briar was heading back there.
Ashton knew precisely what kind of person Edgar was. The man had even gone to the police to frame Briar just for his <b>gain</b>, and he <b>knew </b><b>there </b><b>was </b><b>no </b>way he’d suddenly turn <b>all </b>friendly and politely invite her home for dinner without an ulterior motive.
‘He was probably scheming something again, looking for a new way to mess with Briar, he inwardly reasoned.
<b>44 </b>
Briar
chuckled, “There’s
no need <ol><li>to. I’ll just </li></ol>
bike
<b>over </b>
myself.
I’m
only going
back
to grab
some of
<b>my </b>mom’s
things. I’ll be <b>in </b><b>and </b>
<b>Tout </b>
“If Ashton drove
me home, Edgar would
probably
let
his
imagination run
wild and
up
with
all
sorts of
f crazy ideas.
‘Besides<b>, </b>i
<b>it’s </b>just
another
setup, and it’s
not like
I haven’t
survived those
before,‘
she
thought.
な
か